Here With Me
by Mistiel
Summary: When Joan spoke, He listened... bringing a whole new meaning to the question: What if God was one of us?
1. Chapter One

Okay, here's the deal. This is going to be a multi-chaptered fanfic. It's going to be heavy on the CBG/Joan. So if you **don't like that sort of thing**, then **please, please** do not read it and then flame me on how stupid/horrible/illogical it is. I KNOW. But that's why it's called **fanfiction**. I've rolled this over in my head a million times over, seriously I have. I know it's going to be impossible for it to ever happen. But hey, that's what fanfics are for right? So yes, the **ship** is going to be **CBG/Joan**, again I say, if you don't like that kind of thing, then please vacate the premises. And if you are a fan of this pairing, yay! Unite! **Major kudos to Sweetwater Gal** for helping me with this, thank you so much! Anyways, on with the show. 

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Hall is a goddess. And of course, much love to Kris Lemche, because with out him there would be no CBG or CBG/Joan which I am so deeply in love with.   


**Here With Me**

Joan sighed as she stepped out of the house and onto the sidewalk. It was just like them to forget something while they were at the store. She grumbled to herself as she pulled her coat shut and headed to the little corner market for some last minute ingredients for dinner. Thankfully it was Friday and she didn't have any major plans she would end up being late for. She had asked why me and her mother just gave her an exasperated sigh and handed her the list. She kicked at the ground as she rounded the corner. 

She looked up to make sure she was going in the right direction, having only been there once or twice since she moved to Arcadia. Suddenly, she came across a familiar face. She narrowed her eyes and contemplated walking right past him, but something inside told her not to. She huffed and stalked up to him. 

"Okay, what is it now?" She said, crossing her arms in front of her. 

"Excuse me?" 

Joan let out an annoyed sigh and glared at the cuteboy form of God that stood before her, leaning against the brick wall, hands in the pockets of his coat. 

"Don't play games with me, I've got errands to run." 

"I don't play games, Joan" He said, turning towards her with the ever present amused look. 

"Okay, what is it you want me to do?" She asked, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt. 

"Did I say I wanted you to do something?" 

"... No. But you don't come around unless you do" She stated mater of factly. "So .. what **are** you doing here?" 

"Simply being present." 

"Okay .." She said, not really getting what he meant by that. She was going to question him again when she was suddenly pushed to the side by a man who came rushing past them. 

"Jerk!" She called out after him, just as her foot knocked into something. She looked down, bent to pick it up, but stopped when she heard Him speak. 

"Joan, don't." 

"What?" She said, standing back up and looking at him. 

"Freeze!" A voice called out from behind them. "Don't move!" 

Joan gasped in surprise when her father ran up next to them. "Dad!?" She yelled. 

"Joan!?" He looked from his daughter back to the young man standing in front of her. "What're you doing here!?" He said as he gently pushed her back. 

Before she could answer, other officers came up from around the corner and grabbed the young man. They pressed him against the brick wall, bringing his hands behind him and cuffing them. Joan stared in shock at what she was witnessing. Her father ... was arresting God. Well, he didn't **know** it was God. 

"Dad! What're you doing!" She said trying to make her way towards the now cuffed CuteBoy!God. "Dad stop it!" 

"Joan, you don't understand, this man is being placed under arrest for holding up a clerk in the market." Joan stopped, and then looked over to CuteBoy!God. '_The market .. that's ... where I was going .._' She thought to herself. 

Will looked back at the young man, "Oh, by the way, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have-" 

"Dad! That's not him! I swear it's not. This other guy, he came running past us and knocked into me. He even dropped this!" She said, kicking the concealed object towards him. Will looked at Joan warily, not sure what to believe. The young boy looked alot like the perpetrator. 

"Joan, I don't think-" 

"Dad, please believe me. He's **not** the same guy! This guy's my friend! We've been hanging out all day!" She said, though realizing she just lied in front of God, literally. She winced inwardly at this. 

Will sighed as he shook his head and looked over at the young man. He'd been quiet the whole time, not moving one bit or complaining in the least. Quite unlike anyone who's been arrested for a crime. Finally he nodded to the other cops to release him. Joan sighed in relief. 

"You're sure about this Joan? Because if he's putting you up to this .." 

"I swear to God dad, I'm telling the truth!" 

"Okay, okay. I just want to be sure is all." He hugged his daughter and then walked over to the young boy, "If I find even the smallest shred of evidence, then God help you, because not even my _daughter_ will stop me from coming after your ass." He said quietly before walking off to get a proper description of the man that held up the market. Once the police had left Joan leaned against the wall and sighed heavily. She glanced over at CuteBoy!God and rolled her eyes at him. He was standing there, much like Joan was with an amused look. 

"Okay, I know you could of totally gotten out of that by yourself, but I freaked! I'm sorry! And I know I completely lied about you being with me all day because, again, I freaked. And .. sorry about the swearing to god thing." She said wincing a little. She gave him a hesitant smile "Forgive me? Please?" 

CuteBoy!God chuckled and smirked, "Of course Joan. It was just an instinct. Not a bad one though." 

"Okay, so what was the real reason you were-" 

"Jane?" 

Joan froze mid sentence when she heard his voice. '_Adam .._'. Cautiously she turns around and sees him standing there, with Iris clinging on to his arm. She inwardly cringed at the look on his face. It was a mixture of hurt and utter disbelief. Though it was quickly masked by the look of indifference. She hated that look, it was the same look he gave her after she smashed his artwork. 

"Adam .." 

"Jane .. why'd you lie?" 

Joan couldn't answer. She couldn't just say 'Well you see, my dad was about to arrest God', it just wasn't believable. She opened her mouth, but closed it again. She knew his question wasn't just about what had happened moments ago. There was more to it than that. What he was really saying was 'Why did you lie to me about him. You said there was nothing going on' and she knew. But she also knew she couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet. 

"I .. I had to." Was all she could come up with. She felt her heart break when he just nodded and walked away from them. She felt the tears well up as she saw the '_how could you_' look Iris had cast at her the minute he turned his back. Just one more reason for Adam to hate her. 

Joan turned around to face CuteBoy!God, who was standing in the same position as he'd been in when Adam showed up. 

"You knew. You knew he'd be here. Why! Why didn't say something!" She screamed, tears running down her face. "He thinks I'm lying to him! And don't tell me that I am, you said I couldn't tell!" She yelled. "How could you do that! Now he hates me! Again!" She sobbed. She covered her face with her hands and cried. He hated her. Probably for good this time. And it was all His fault. 

"I hate you." She whispered, but knowing he heard her. 

"Hate's a strong word Joan." 

"I don't care! I do! You don't understand what it's like ... to have him hate me!" She cried out. 

"I understand Joan-" 

"No! You don't. You might **understand** how I feel, but you don't know what it's like to **feel** like this" She said, her cries subsiding. 

He stood there, watching her cry. He looked thoughtfully at her, as if contemplating something. Joan looked up when she noticed the silence. She regarded how he was looking at her. It was unnerving. Then finally he looked away, thought still not saying a word. 

She sniffled a bit before speaking. "I'm sorry. I don't .. hate you. I was just mad." She said, looking down and feeling quite ashamed. "I'm sorry" She whispered. 

She looked up when she felt him place his hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her and nodded. "I know Joan, it's okay." 

She smiled back, feeling relieved at his words. She sighed. "I guess I should be going. Mom's probably waiting for me to come back from the market. And I know once dad gets home I'm going to get raked over the coals for what happened." 

"It'll all work out Joan, don't worry." 

"Thanks." She said, before walking past him and heading towards the market. She stopped and turned around to ask him something, but was surprised to find he wasn't there. She smiled to herself and continued on her way to the corner. 

--------------------------- 

Joan yawned and rolled over in her bed, looking at the clock that sat on her nightstand. She moaned and rolled back over, throwing the covers back over her head. It was nine thirty in the morning, way too early for a Saturday. And yet she did anyways. Frustrated at not being able to fall back to sleep she threw the covers back, slid on her slippers and went down stairs. 

She wanted to sleep in since she was up a little later than usual. She got a stern lecture from both her parents on being safe outside of the home and not talking (or sticking up) for strangers. She tried to reason with them that the boy she was with **was** a friend, but they were being too overprotective to hear her, so she just let them talk. 

Pulling out a chair, Joan sat down on the end of the table as her mother was setting out breakfast. After a few minutes the rest of the family joined in and sat down. Midway through eating the doorbell rang. Helen excused herself to answer the door. When she returned she had a surprised look on her face. 

"Joan, there's a young man at the front door asking for you." She said as she returned to her chair. "He's cute. Is he a friend of yours, because I've never seen him at school." 

Will glanced at Joan before glaring suspiciously at Helen. She looked up and raised her brow at her husband. "What?" 

As Joan got up from the table she glanced at her family, noticing the odd look they were giving her. 

"What!? Like I can't have a cute boy ask for me?" 

"Is it the Jehovah's Witness?" Kevin asked. 

"Must be if he's asking for Joan." Luke said, glancing over at Joan as he tries not to laugh. 

"They're not that desperate ... are they?" 

She glared at them both before walking over to the door, still dressed in her pink pajamas. When she opened it she nearly fainted. Her mouth opened in utter surprise when she came face to face with CuteBoy!God. 

"Oh my god .." 

"Not quite, Joan." 


	2. Chapter Two

Woo! 2nd Chapter! Don't worry, it all gets explained why he's there in this chapter. Also, it seemed that some people got kinda confused on the Adam thing. He's mad at Joan because he thinks she lied about CuteBoy!God and her relationship with him, because he remembers them dancing in "Recreation", so he's mad because he thinks she didn't trust him enough to tell him, because he's trusted her with his 'ship' with Iris. I hope that makes sense. And don't worry, I don't plan on bashing Adam. *g* Anyways, I hope you like it. And YES I know this idea is as far-fetched as they get, but hey, it's fanfiction remember? So again I reiterate, If the idea of CBG/Joan squicks you beyond all squicking, then please back away from the fic. Thank you, that is all. 

Responses: Thank you to all who reviewed, it was muchly appreciated. And thanks for pointing out my tense issues. I totally don't even realize I do it, and I rarely catch it. I'll try to be on the look-out from now on. If it happens again, just uh, ignore it. *g* Again, thank you. 

Disclaimer: Hall is God (kinda) and I am just a lowly servant of written creation. Deal. 

Dedications: To SWG, you're like a lifesaver, yo. And not the icky pineapple ones either. 

Small Note: Oh yeah, Joan gives Him a name in this chappy. I mean, she can't go around calling him God. Well, not in front of everyone else. The name she gives him has two meanings. One of them is purely for fun, and any Kris Lemche fan will get it. The second one is because the name she gives means "To hear", which is technically what he did. He heard her. Okay, now seriously, on with the show.   


  


**Here With Me: Chapter Two**

  


When she got to the door and opened it she nearly fainted. Her mouth opened in utter surprise when she came face to face with CuteBoy!God. 

"Oh my god .." 

"Not quite, Joan." 

She blinked a few times wondering if he was actually standing there, leaning against her door frame with the ever present amused smile, or if she was dreaming it all. She looked over at her family who were watching her intently, especially her parents. She huffed softly and pushed him back onto their porch and shut the door behind her. 

"What are you doing here!?" She hissed quietly. 

"I'm here to learn Joan." 

"Uh, what? You need to learn? From me of all people?" She scoffed at the idea "Are you sure you didn't hit your head on the way down?" 

He just smiled at her, amused, "I thought about what you said Joan, about me not understanding what you're going through. Technically you do have a point. I understand alot, everything really. But I don't have the same emotions as you do, so I can't, as you say, feel the same things you do." 

Joan put her hands up to stop him from continuing. "Whoa, wait... dealing with _Luke_ is bad enough. Can you just talk _normal_?" 

He chuckled and shook his head "Let's just say I'm here to learn a bit, about this emotion thing everyone gets so worked up over." 

"Uh, okay." She said, not fully understanding what's going on. "So uh .. how does this work. I mean, you're God, all knowing and all that other stuff." 

"It works like this Joan, for as long as I am here I will have normal human emotions, I will experience all the same things you will. Obviously not the same exact things you will. Do you get it now?" 

"I think so. So you're like, human right? For however long you're here with me?" She asked, still wary of this whole situation. He merely nodded. 

"Okay. But .. wait. You'll know what I'm feeling, so doesn't that like, I don't know, defeat the purpose or something" 

He smirked at her confusion. "It would if I knew what you were feeling, or thinking for that matter." 

"You're saying you don't know what I'm thinking **or** feeling?" 

"As of right now. Technically the minute I knocked on your door." 

"So .. right now .. you don't know what I'm thinking?" She asked. He shook his head. 

"Really? Okay, what number am I thinking of." 

"10" 

She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when she realized his answer was wrong. "Wow, you aren't kidding." She then looked at him suspiciously "Either that or you're lying to me.." 

CuteBoy!God looked at her, raising his brow at her accusations. "Okay right, like you'd lie" She said, knowing full well he wouldn't. 

"You don't trust much, do you Joan." 

"I trust!" 

"I don't have to be omniscient to know that you don't." He said with a small smile. 

"... Sometimes." She added. 

He chuckled a bit and then stood there, regarding her. He reached out and flicked his fingers against her pink pajama shirt. "Cute" 

Joan blinked a few times and stared at him. Well that was a first. She can't ever recall a time when he had commented on her clothing or the way she dressed. She unconsciously folded her arms across her chest. She could already feel her face start to flush. 

"You're blushing." A small smirk of amusement played on his lips. 

"I am not!" She said, of course she knew she was, but she wasn't going to admit it. 

"Yes, you are." 

"No, I'm not!" She said, coming fairly close to stomping her foot on the ground like a child. She opened her mouth to retort but closed it, cocking her head slightly to the side she looked at him suspiciously. 

"Wait ... Are you teasing me? God teases?" 

Instead of an answer she got the all too familiar amused smile in return. She let out a small laugh, yes he was indeed teasing her. Which was a little odd to be honest, but she didn't mind it. 

He nodded to the street, "Take a walk with me Joan." 

"Uh .. okay" She said, not really wanting to argue with why, "Let me change and tell them I'm leaving." She then went back into the house and ran upstairs, leaving the door wide open, as she'd only be gone a few minutes. And she was pretty sure He wasn't going to wander in her house. 

Upon returning she was stopped short of the door by her parents. She winced slightly when her father called her name, usually he didn't use -that- tone unless there -might- be something she -could- have done wrong. 

"Yeah dad?" 

"Where you going? You're not staying for breakfast Joan?" 

"Uh, no .. I can't. I ... forgot I had to work today. At the bookstore? Yeah, that ..friend of mine .. he uh works there too and came to remind me that I had to come in." 

She hoped that it was convincing enough for them to not want her to drag Him in. She didn't want them to give him the third degree. Sure He could probably handle himself, but she didn't think she stood a chance. 

"Does this friend have a name?" 

"Oh, uh yeah. It's ..Sam." She glanced nervously at the door, "I've gotta go, I don't want to be late. I'll get something on the way there!" She said before bolting out the door, practically slamming it behind her. 

She walked passed "Sam" and grabbed his coat sleeve "Okay, we need to go now, before my dad sicks a squad car on us." 

She stopped a few feet away from her house, once she knew she was clear from their sight. She promptly let go of his sleeve and fidgeted with her own coat. "Uh .. sorry for dragging you away like that. I kinda panicked." 

He just smiled and shook his head "It's okay Joan." He said as he continued to walk down the street. She walked after him and stayed at his side, in step with him as they walked towards the Bookstore. 

"So .. how does this work?" She asked, breaking the few minutes of silence. "I mean, I get the whole feeling thing, but are you still like, you know, God?" 

He smirked and nodded, but said nothing more. She took that as a "yes" answer. "So you can't read my thoughts or know what I'm thinking?" He glanced over at her with a look that said "we've discussed this" 

"Right, no. So do you like, eat? I mean, like a normal person." 

Again he nodded. She looked down as she walked, thinking all this over. She still wasn't really sure why he'd chosen her, yet again. Maybe this was a mission. She wanted to ask, but thought better of it. 

"Interesting name you chose for me, Joan" He said. The sound of his voice startled her from her thoughts. 

"What?" 

"Sam?" 

"Oh, right." She said, laughing nervously "I was watching some horror movie last night and it was the first thing that came to mind." She paused a moment, "Why?" 

"Do you know what 'Sam' means Joan?" She shook her head, "It means 'to hear'" 

She thought about this for a moment and smiled a little. "I guess it does fit huh?" 

They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Joan took this time to review everything she had said and done, the missions and the like. It gave her time to think. She'd like to think she at least learned something from all of this. She was sure she did, she just couldn't recall it. As they came upon the bookstore she asked him to wait outside while she went in. 

She opened the door, the bell sounded throughout the quiet store. She walked around until she found Sammy, she asked him if she needed to come in. 

"Oh, Joan. Girardi right? You still work here?" He asked, putting a few children's books back on the right shelf. 

"Uh yeah, I don't remember quitting or you firing me. Things have been .... a little hectic." 

He shrugged and put the last book on the cart away. "Nah, you can go. I don't see us getting much business today anyways." 

"Great! I'll see you later!" 

Joan then walked back to the front, opened the door and walked outside. She was pleased to see "Sam" in the same place that she'd left him. Not that she expected him to leave, well she kinda did, but was glad that he didn't. 

"I don't have to work today! Or .. ever, I think." She said, then shaking her head. 

Soon after, they left the bookstore and continued down the street, eventually passing the market she was at yesterday. She almost asked about that, why he'd shown up, but decided that she liked the peacefulness and didn't want to ruin it with something she probably didn't even want to know. 

Joan was broken out of her reverie of thoughts when a women, slightly older than her mother, cursed loudly as the contents of her bag spilled, various boxes and fruits rolled onto the sidewalk. Without hesitation Joan walked over and grabbed what few items had not rolled into the street, and handed them back to the woman. 

"Here you go ma'am." Joan said politely as she handed a box and some apples back to her. 

"Oh thank you so much." She said, depositing them back into the bag. 

She looked at Joan and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry for the course language, I didn't think my bag would rip." 

Joan laughed a little, "It's okay, I've heard plenty worse." 

The woman laughed also, "I don't know if that should be a good thing or a bad thing." 

The woman thanked her again and walked away, down the street, opposite the way Joan was going. An uneasy feeling settled in Joan, she only got that feeling when something was or seemed wrong. Hesitantly she walked after the woman and eventually caught up with her. 

"Ma'am?" She said, cautiously tapping her on the shoulder. 

"Yes?" The woman turned around and smiled when she noticed it was the girl who'd helped her. "What can I help you with dear?" 

Joan took a deep breath, "I know it's probably none of my business or anything, but .. is everything okay? It just seemed like, I don't know, the bag wasn't the only thing you were mad at." 

The woman stared at her before laughing quietly. "You're quite bright, you know that?" She sighed sadly. "Yes, things haven't been good lately. I don't understand really. My son, he's about nine years old, is living with my ex-husband. We were supposed to have joint custody, but whenever I try to call him to set something up, his girlfriend says he's not there. I just .. don't know what I did wrong. Is God punishing me?" She asked, not really to Joan, but more to herself than anyone. 

Joan was taken aback by this, but stayed calm when she spoke "No, I don't think he is. I think things will work out. Maybe not right now, but they will eventually. You just ..." She smiled a bit, "Need to have faith." 

The woman smiled, tears shown in her eyes but didn't fall. "Thank you. I think .. I needed to hear that." She reached out and patted Joan on the shoulder. "Thank you very much." With her faith renewed, the woman bid her goodbye and continued on her way. 

Joan smiled to herself before returning to Him, who was still waiting for her. She walked up to him and noticed him smiling at her. 

"What?" She said, raising her brow. 

"Nothing" He then turned and walked away, leaving Joan to catch up to him yet again. She caught up and walked in a steady stride next to him, almost completely in step. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Of course Joan." 

"Will ... will everything work out for that woman?" She asked, concern evident in her tone. 

"Yes." 

"How?" She knew he wouldn't say, but she had to ask anyways. After a long moment, and to her surprise, he answered. 

"She'll go home now, after talking to you, feeling better than she had in a long time. As she turns the corner she'll run into her son and ex-husband. She'll confront him about what has happened, it will be a calm conversation. They talk things over and she'll eventually get to see her son again, almost on a regular basis. After a few more months her ex-husband will leave his girlfriend and ask the woman to take him back. She does and they live out the rest of their lives that way." 

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She looked down when she spoke. "All ... because of me?" She asked, almost timidly. 

"Yes, Joan. Simply because you were present, you altered the lives of three people. Three people who will now live happily together." 

Joan couldn't help but smile. She knew that most of the time she never got to know what happened in the end, she was glad he told her. It made her feel better about doing her missions. 

"Thanks." 

"You're welcome." 

They continue to walk aimlessly through parts of the city. She passed Kevin's work and showed him the building, though he already knew where it was at, she did it anyways and he didn't complain or say otherwise. By the time they had returned to Joan's home it was nearly five in the evening, just before dinner. She couldn't believe the day had gone by so quickly. She walked up the sidewalk and onto the porch before she turned to face him. 

"Well, I'd invite you in ..but .. I don't really want to play twenty questions with everyone tonight." 

"It's alright Joan, I -do- know your parents." He commented. She laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, I know. But still .." 

She shuffled her feet, almost not wanting him to leave. Truth be told she actually enjoyed walking about the city with him. It was as if she was with an old friend. She chatted and he listened, commenting every once in awhile, debating, sharing a friendly argument every now and again. No, she didn't really want to go inside. 

"So .. I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. 

He smiled softly, "I'm sorry Joan, I'm busy tomorrow." 

"But tomorrow's Sunday" 

"But I'm God" 

"Oh right, never figured that." 

"Yeah well, for some reason, people seem to want to talk to me more on Sunday" 

She tried not to smirk at his last comment. It was true however, but she kept her mouth closed. She glanced up at him "Monday then?" 

He nodded, "Monday." 

She nodded in return. "Okay then. Goodnight ... Sam" She said with a slightly amused smile. 

He tilted his head and looked at her for a moment, as if to say something, but instead he just smiled "Goodnight Joan." And with that he stepped off her porch, walked down the sidewalk and onto the street. She watched him for a few more minutes before smiling to herself and going inside. 

--------------------------------------------------------------- 

Okay, so I'm really really trying to keep them as in character as I can while writing a fanfic of this degree and trying to develop a believable plot of this caliber. It's not easy let me tell you. So I hope they weren't -too- ooc. And I hope you understand what's going on. If you need me to explain it, I'm on AIM like, all the time. Or you can send me an email and I'll do my best to explain it without ruining the rest of it. To be continued! 


	3. Chapter Three

Woo! Third chapter! Don't y'all feel special. Hehe. I hope I am keeping them somewhat in character. Since this fanfic is pretty much AU, I mean really .. God human? Yeah, AU at it's best I think. I'm trying to keep them as close as possible to the characters in the show. I'm sure I'll slip up once in awhile. Anyways, I'm not very good with writing about parents and anyone that is not the main focus of the fic, so bear with me if they seem ooc or it starts to suck, because hopefully it won't. Hehehe. Again, if the pairing CBG/Joan squicks you, please read something else. Hopefully after this chapter I won't have to say that anymore. Hehe. 

Dedications: To allll my luffly reviewers. You guys are great. Much love. 

Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep putting this here? I mean, it's in the last two chapters, surely by now you'd know that I don't own anything. Meh.   
  
  
  


**Here With Me: Chapter Three**

  
  
  
  
  


Joan yawned, already dressed for school, as she trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen. She seated herself at the table and helped herself to some cereal. She looked up and noticed the stares she was getting from Luke and her mother, who were also up. 

"Wha?" She said, with a mouth full of cereal. 

"You're up. Early." Luke said, taking a bite of his toast as he watched Joan warily. 

"So?" 

"It's just not like you to be up so early Joan," Her mother chimed in. "That's all." 

Joan shrugged and ate the rest of her cereal, or well ... most of it anyways. She got up from the table, grabbed her bag and headed out the door, saying goodbye as she closed it behind her. 

Rounding the corner onto the street that led to her school, she smiled when she noticed a familiar figure leaning against one of the building walls. She quickened her step and walked up to him. 

"Morning!" She chirped 

"Morning Joan." He said, smiling back her cheery attitude. "Shall we?" 

Joan nodded and they both started down the street. Just as they stopped at the crosswalk Joan heard her name being called and turned around. She rolled her eyes when she saw Luke running to catch up with her. She glanced over at Him with an annoyed look. "Brothers" she mumbled. 

He just chuckled as he waited patiently with Joan for her brother to catch up with them. When he did, Joan started off again, leaving them both behind her. He just shook his head and walked after the two siblings. He was in step with Joan when she looked over at her brother and slightly narrowed her eyes. 

"So what's with the puppy deal nerdboy?" 

"What? Puppy deal?" He asked, raising his brow at her. 

"Yeah, duh, following me?" 

"Oh, nothing. I just figured we'd walk to school together. Sorry." He said, looking down as they continued to walk. 

Joan let out an annoyed sigh as she looked back where they were going. She glanced over at Him and noticed he was watching her expectantly. She gave him the "what!?" look and he in turn gave her his "well?" look. Finally she gave in, rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Luke. 

"Look, I'm sorry. I've just got alot on my mind right now. I didn't mean to snap." She said, which was partly true. She did have alot to think about lately. 

"It's okay Joan, I know you don't like hanging out with your nerdy brother." 

"I don't want to fight okay?" 

"We're not fighting Joan." 

"Whatever. I know that tone." 

Luke just sighed and decided to keep quiet. He didn't want to get into an argument either. He glanced over at Joan's friend and could have sworn he'd seen him before, but he couldn't place it. He quickly looked back when the young man looked over at him. 

Joan noticed the exchange and started to get nervous. Her brother was smart, but was he smart enough to figure everything out and put two and two together? She sure hoped not. Besides, the quick wary glances were getting on her nerves. She stopped as they came to the bottom of the school steps. 

She turned and stood before both of them. "Okay, it goes like this, Luke, this is my friend Sam. Sam, this is my nerdy brother Luke. Now you know each other. Goodbye" And with that she turned and stalked up the steps, leaving Him and Luke behind. After a few moments Luke jogged up the steps but stopped when Joan came back down them. She stopped in front of 'Sam' 

"I'll see you after school" She said, then she turned and traipsed back up the steps, stopping for a moment to glare at Luke before going inside. Luke just shrugged and followed his sister into the building. 

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly. She had asked her friends, and Iris as well, thought she felt she didn't have much of a choice, if they were going to have their usual study session. They all agreed to if they could find a place to study. Joan offered her house, knowing that Kevin and her father will be working late, and Helen had a faculty meeting to attend. Grace asked if Luke was going to be there. She shook her head, saying she heard him talking about going to Friedman's house or something of the sort. Grace nodded and said she was in. So there it was, set in stone so to speak, they would be meeting tomorrow at Joan's house for their usual study session. 

Joan was at her locker towards the end of her class before lunch when she curiously looked over at the sound of someone giggling. She stopped what she was doing and stared in disbelief. 

She stood there, frozen, watching the last thing she ever wanted to see. Everything seemed as if it was moving in slow motion. The voices, the laughter, everything. She watched even though she knew it would kill her to do so, but she couldn't help it. Adam and Iris were in front of her locker, talking, laughing, giggling. And then she leaned in and kissed him. Joan swore she heard her own heart break. 

She turned around, not wanting to watch anymore. She felt trapped, it was like everything was closing in on her. She needed to get out of there. 

Joan bolted in the opposite direction, weaving in and out of the students in the halls. She ran past the office, past her mother who was on her way out. She called out to Joan, but it didn't reach her. Joan was far too distraught to listen. She brushed passed Grace and her brother, Luke, as she ran out the front doors and down the steps of Arcadia High. 

She knew she'd get in trouble, but for the first time she honestly didn't care. She just needed to get away from that awful sight. She didn't have an eidetic memory like Adam did, but that image just wouldn't go away. And every time she closed her eyes, it was there, haunting her. 

Joan ran down the sidewalk paying no attention to the world around her. The only thing she knew was she needed to get as far away from the school as humanly possible. She wanted to be alone. Which she'd doubt wouldn't be a problem now. She was alone, and she just knew she always would be. 

Suddenly Joan was halted as she'd knocked into someone on the streets. She tried to pull away but their grip was firm. She looked up through her tear-stained eyes to see who had caught her. And it was _him_ who had grabbed her, albeit gently, and stopped her from running. He smiled sadly at her, pulled her into an embrace as she finally broke down and cried. 

The sobs wracked her small form, making her feel weak and vulnerable. She clung to him and he just held her in return. She didn't feel quite as alone as she did moments before. She leaned into the comforting embrace, letting all the pent up frustration and hurt out, finally, after so many months of keeping it all locked inside. 

He watched her as she cried. Her shoulders shook and her hands grasped his coat tightly. He knew what he was getting into when he chose to do this. He knew he would be feeling the same things they felt. He knew sadness and hurt when he'd seen it, he understood it all but never felt it. But now ... he wasn't sure he could handle this. Joan was hurt and upset, something had happened, and since he closed himself off from her, he didn't know what. And it hurt him to see her this way, but yet left him feeling quite helpless knowing he couldn't fix it. So instead he held her, to let her know he was there for her even when she felt she was alone. Because she was never alone, not really. But sometimes they forget that. 

Silently she pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes red and filled with sadness, hurt and regret. He reached down and brushed the hair away from her face and the tears from her eyes. She gave him a small smile, slightly surprised by his tenderness and the concern showing in his eyes. She sighed softly and leaned against him again and smiled to herself as she felt him wrap his arms around her, keeping her safe from the evil world that lay outside his comforting embrace. She didn't want to deal with that anymore, she didn't want to go back. More importantly, she was surprised to find that she didn't really want to leave this moment at all. 

Joan glanced up at him and watched him for a moment. His head was laid against hers and his eyes were closed. He looked so peaceful. She closed her own and concentrated on trying to calm down. Her eyes flew open when she realized she could hear his heart beating next to hers. '_So he is real_' she thought to herself. For awhile she thought he was just ... there. She's always known that He was around... He was _God_ afterall. However, at this very moment, with his arms safely wrapped around hers as she heard his heart beating... there was more to it. He wasn't just a _form_ that God created... He was more than that. Joan didn't know how to explain it, but she could _feel_ it. 

Quietly, for the first time since she ran into him she spoke. "Did you .. know about them?" She glanced up again, watching for his response. 

"Yes." He said, just as quietly. 

She watched him as he spoke, his lips had barely moved and he had stayed firmly in place, arms still around her and his eyes closed. 

"Okay." Was all she could really say. She didn't blame him in the slightest. It wasn't anyone's fault. If anything, it was her own for not coupling with Adam when she had the chance. But that was over now, it was in the past. 

"I'm sorry Joan." He whispered to her, his hand coming up, gently brushing her hair. It was a very soothing gesture. 

"So am I." She said, '_So am I_' 

After a long while, what seemed like forever, Joan pulled herself away from him. She looked up and smiled. "I .. I think I want to go home." She said quietly. 

He nodded, one arm still around her, they turned and walked back towards her home. The walk there was left in comfortable silence. She found that she was now leaning against him as they walked in step with each other, perfectly, with his arm still placed gently around her. 

His arm dropped, unconsciously brushing the small of her back, as they came upon her house. She glanced over at him when he did this, but since he didn't say anything, she figured he probably hadn't realized he even did it. A small smile crept up to her lips. 

She turned around as she stepped up onto her porch, her hands folded in front of her. "Thank you .. for .. everything." She said, smiling a little. 

"Of course, Joan." 

She looked at him for a minute and frowned. He looked sad, and it made her wonder what had caused him to feel this way. Then it dawned on her. '_He .. **feels** .. sad?_' She felt bad herself though, knowing it was probably her own distraught state of being that made him feel this way. 

He looked over at her and raised his brown when he found her watching him. "Are you okay Joan?" 

"Yes, Are you?" 

He looked surprised, taken aback by her question. No, he wasn't okay. He didn't want to see her so sad, and then in the end pretend she wasn't, when he knew she was. And he didn't have to be omniscient to know she was hiding it. But he knew, that sometimes people needed to do that to get through the day and the events that take place in their lives. 

"I will be." He said, giving her a reassuring smile. 

She smiled back, seeing in his eyes the sincerity in his words. She nodded. "Good." 

"Joan, there is one thing though, that I want you to do" He started, "I want you to talk to your mother about today. She won't be mad if you tell her the truth. She'll understand." 

Joan sighed, not in annoyance though, but a tired and exhausted sigh. "I don't really want-" 

"Joan," He said, looking straight at her, his eyes holding hers "Please .. for once, just trust me." 

She swallowed hard, his voice sounded as if he was on the verge of pleading for her to do so. She merely nodded, not thinking she had the strength to speak after hearing the tone in his voice. 

He gave her a small smile and nodded. "Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow Joan." He stepped up to meet her height, leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "If you need me .. I'll be here" He said quietly, his breath warm against her face. 

She nodded again and when she opened her eyes he was gone. She smiled faintly as she unlocked her door and walked in, closing it behind her and promptly going to her room to wait for her mother to come home. 

Joan looked up from the magazine she was flipping through when she heard the front door open and close. She was tempted to go down to see who had come home, but she decided not to. She knew it was her mother when she heard keys hit the table. 

"Joan?" Helen called out, hoping her daughter had come home. 

"I'm in my room." 

Joan tossed the magazine on the floor and moved back, leaning against the headboard when her mother came in. Helen opened her mouth, ready to reprimand her daughter, but stopped when she seen Joan had been crying. She stepped in Joan's room and quietly closed the door, then walked over and sat down the edge of her bed. She smiled softly at Joan and reached out, beckoning her daughter over. 

Joan sniffled and scooted over to her mother. She laid down, curled, with her head on her mother's lap. Helen ran her hand over her hair, petting her. It was a calming effect. It was awhile before either of them spoke. 

"Joan, what happened?" She asked quietly. 

"I .." She thought back to what He had said, to talk to her mother about everything. She had never really talked with her mother before. She'd talked 'at' her, but never 'with' her. She hoped that maybe some good would come out of this and she wouldn't be as embarrassed as half of the other times she tried this. 

"I .. I think I lost him mom." She said, her voice was a little shaky as she tried not to cry. 

"Lost .. Adam?" She asked, figuring that's who she had meant, but it was always good to get a confirmation. 

"Yeah." She sniffled a bit "I saw .. I saw him and Iris kiss in the hallway." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

"Oh Joan ... I'm so sorry." Helen said, stroking her daughters hair. She felt so bad, wishing there was something she could do for her. But she knew there wasn't. She didn't like the idea of Iris and Adam as a couple all that much, but she never meddled with their relationship, it wasn't her place. She liked Adam, almost as if he were her own. 

"I always thought ... that I would have a chance, you know? That maybe he'd ... wait for me. I mean, I knew he wouldn't always be waiting." She said. 

"Sometimes Joan, we just have to let things play out. They might not work out the way we want them to now, but they will in the end." She said reassuringly. "You just have to believe that." 

Joan turned over, looking up at her mother, "Kind of like ... having faith?" 

Helen smiled and nodded, "Yeah, kinda like that." 

Joan turned her head, looking away as she spoke "Do you ever ... question it? Faith, I mean." 

Helen was surprised by the question, more so that it came from Joan. "Sometimes I do. I did after Kevin's accident. I couldn't understand why something so awful could happen to such a good person. I thought maybe I was being punished somehow. I almost lost it though, my faith. But when they said Kevin would make it, and that was alive ... I decided not to give up just yet." 

Helen let out a small chuckle as she wiped the tears out of her own eyes. Joan thought for a moment about what her mother had said, and about all the things He had told her. She looked back at her mother and studied her for a moment. 

"I don't think he punishes us, but we punish ourselves instead. And sometimes bad things happen to good people." She paused a moment, looking back away, "Things happen for a reason, though we don't always get it. Or something like that." 

Helen laughed, "Yeah, I guess your right." 

"So .. am I in trouble?" 

"Well, I'll have to talk to Price in the morning when I go to work, but until then, you're grounded. For the weekend at least." She said with a small smile. 

Joan smirked, "Good enough for me." Then she got up and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment, pushing her long hair out of her face and looking over at her mother. She smiled and hugged her. 

"Thanks mom, for listening." 

"Thanks for letting me, Joan"   


--------------------------------   
Awwww. I hope that was okay. Like I said, I'm not used to writing the parent/child conversations, but I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad for Joan to actually mature in this. So .. yeah. Hope you liked! 


	4. Chapter Four

Woo! Another chapter already! Wow, this is going well for me! I hope you like it so far. Because I'm having so much fun writing it. I hope the chapters are long enough for ya. I don't care much for the short chapters, because then I'm just like "Where's the rest of it!?" Hehehe. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. 

Disclaimer: Okay really ... Nuff said. 

Deds: To all my reviewers, you guys are awesome. And to SWG for letting me talk fic with you. Bouncing off ideas generally helps me write lol. Anyways, I hope you all like it.   


**Here With Me: Chapter Four**

Joan was halfway to school when her brother finally caught up with her. She had left the house early this morning in hopes that "Sam", as her friends and family knew him, would walk with her to school. Unfortunately though, she hadn't seen since she ran into him yesterday after noon. Not really wanting to walk alone she let Luke tag along behind her. Well, not that she _let_ him, rather than he just stayed a few feet behind her. 

None of her family had questioned her on why she was home so late, nor did Adam or Grace try to call her. Which was just as well since she didn't think she had the strength to explain everything, especially to Adam. Quietly the Girardi siblings walked up the stone steps and through the doors of the High school. Luke had gone the opposite direction Joan was heading in when she was stopped just past the front office. 

Gavin Price, their "beloved tyrant of a VP" as Grace once snarked, poked his head out and calls out to her. "Miss Girardi?" A reflexed groan escaped her lips as she slowly turns around and casts him a feigned, yet tight, smile. Indicating to his office, "A word, please..." Joan opened her mouth, about to protest that she needed to get to her locker, when he cuts in with a soft, yet stern "_Now._" 

Joan sighed and walked into his office, then sat down in the chair opposite his desk and waited nervously for him to speak. 

"Okay... look, whatever it is, I didn't do it ..." 

"So yesterday afternoon you _didn't_ just cut out of school abruptly?" 

"Uh... okay, so... you've obviously talked to my mother already..." 

Price nodded and then sat down behind his desk, "Obviously." 

Joan smiled sheepishly, "And there's nothing I can add to my own defense before you hand out my sentence?" Hoping maybe she could get at least one good word in, though she highly doubted it. 

Price raised his brow, slightly amused by her question. "It depends..." He said, crossing his arms "Will I find myself listening to an encore performance of your "_I'm building a boat_" routine?" He sighed softly, "What is it this time, Joan? A cruise liner?" 

Joan gave him her 'haha funny' look, then sighing loudly she leaned back in the chair, slouching down a bit. "Okay... how much trouble am I in?" 

"How does finishing out the rest of the week in detention sound to you?" 

With a dejected sign Joan nodded in agreement. "Sounds fair." she said quietly. Price looked at her with slight surprise, as he was awaiting the usual backtalk and comments that he was sure would follow. But Joan just sat there, eyes wandering around the room. Price nodded and then excused Joan, telling her to be sure to get to class on time. Joan nodded and left his office. 

Upon entering the hallway she was approached by both Adam and Grace, each wore a look of surprise and slight amusement. 

"So what'd you do to get sucked into the office of doom?" Grace asked, leaning against the wall. 

"Detention." Joan said, then started down the hall, but was stopped when Grace blocked her path. Joan let out an annoyed and tired sigh as she looked up at Grace. 

"Did it have anything to do with you bolting from school yesterday?" 

"Yeah .. kinda." 

Adam watched the exchange between them. Joan looked tired and seemed more withdrawn and not her usual talkative self. Adam couldn't help but ask .. 

"Cha, Jane .. What happened yesterday?" 

Joan looked up but immediately avoided direct eye contact with him. She knew he could read her, like a book almost. And what's the saying .... the eyes are the windows to the soul? Yeah, that's it. 

"I .. don't really want to talk about it right now." She said as she started past Grace, "Oh and study group will have to wait till I get home I guess." 

"No biggie, we'll just crash at your place." Grace said with a shrug. Adam just nodded in agreement as he watched Joan nod back and retreat down the hall. 

"Do you think she's okay?" Adam asked, looking over at Grace. 

"No." 

"Do you-" 

"I have an idea." She said, already knowing what he was going to ask. Adam just nodded. "We should get to class, yo." 

"Should, being the operative word here." Grace said, smirking as the bell sounded. "Now we can go to class." 

The rest of the day went slow, at least Joan thought so. She'd done a fairly good job of keeping to herself and remaining quiet for most of her classes. She didn't feel the need to exert any unneeded energy into her assignments and lessons. Actually, she wasn't really paying attention at all. Joan glanced over at Adam a few times but turned away when he glanced back. It was hard for her not to talk to him as much as it was for her to even say hi. Every time she opened her mouth to say something to him she couldn't feel the tears want to form. As much as she tried she couldn't get the image of what happened out of her head. She didn't even know how she was going to handle study group tonight, knowing both of them were going to be there. 

The final bell rang and Joan took her time getting to her locker and taking out her AP Chem book and the notes she'd need for study group. She was on her way to the office when her mother stopped her. 

"Joan? Do you want me to wait for you?" 

"No, that's okay. I think the fresh air will be good." 

Helen nodded, "Is Grace and Adam going to be over?" 

"Yeah, they'll get there before me. And Iris too." 

"Oh... Okay then. I'll see you at home honey." 

Helen gave her daughter a short hug before letting her go. Joan smiled as she continued to the office, but stopped for a moment and turned to her mother. 

"Mom? Thanks anyways." She said with a small smile before walking into the office. Helen smiled back, took the keys out of her purse and headed outside. 

Joan walked into the office and noticed Price's door was shut. Shrugging, she sat down on the bench against the glass window and waited patiently, glancing every now and then at her watch. A minute or two passed before Joan started placing her earphones on, which was the exact same moment that Price opened his door and stuck his head out. 

Catching sight of the young student, "Miss Girardi." 

Though his voice held a soft tone, it was still harsh and stern enough to startle a yelp out of Joan. She gazed slowly, reluctantly, at him as she tossed him a compliant smile. 

With one crook of his finger, he indicated her to enter. Joan sat up begrudgingly, quietly grumbling How the hell did I get into this mess?... which suddenly caused her to glance skywards at an apology. She slowly walked into his office as Mr. Price made his way towards his file cabinets. 

He reached into his cabinet and, with his back towards her, began pulling out very thick file folders. Price placed each folder one on top of the other, while Joan watched him with silent dread. She began feeling an awkward quiet upon them, which caused her to shift uneasily in her place. Her eyes landed on the chair and as she slowly made her towards it, his voice halted her efforts. 

"Don't bother taking a seat just yet, Miss Girardi." 

Joan bit back a groan and feigned a smile that he obviously wasn't going to see anyway, considering that his back was still facing her. As the silence started to grow thick enough to agitate Joan, she spoke up with a question that she's been wondering about since the last bell rang. "Uh, Mr. Price? I know that this might sound like a stupid question, but... I don't know much about how this whole thing works-- considering that I've never really been in detention-- but aren't there usually other kids around and, like, isn't there a designated classroom for this sort of... _thing_?" Rambling seemed to be a forte with the young Girardi, considering how nervous she was upon asking such a question. 

To her surprise, Price allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips. He turned his body towards her, facing the young student. "In other words, you're wondering why I'm having you serve your sentence in my office and not in the present company of your delinquent peers?" 

She nodded with a meek reply, "Uh... yeah..." 

Price closed the top cabinet as he placed one more folder on the piled stack. He gave a slight shrug as he walked over towards his desk chair. He indicated for her to take a seat, just as he began taking his. Price folded his hands together and began, "In a way, you'd have to thank your mother." 

"Excuse me?" Joan nearly choked, stunned. 

"Your mother came to me and asked if I could go easy on your punishment for skipping class yesterday. That you had a lot on your mind, and that she's positive that you won't ever do such a thing again. In all truth, I was originally going to give you a single afternoon's worth of detention. Other students have done considerably far worst than your offense." 

Baffled, Joan stared at him. She was unsure whether or not to be upset at her mother or at Price. Deciding that Mr. Price was an easier target, "So... I'm serving _four_ afternoon's in your office just because my mother tried to defend my situation?" 

He gave a simple nod as he held a smile that could easily be found, to Joan's disgust, on one of God's many forms. "Basically." 

"Why?" 

"Because Mrs. Helen Girardi was thinking more along the lines of a _mother_ of a truant student. If she had decided to think along the lines of a _teacher_, or as an administrator, as it falls in my case... your mother would realize that having you sit in a classroom for two mere hours, doing nothing of the sort, would not aptly teach you a lesson. Nor would it make you ponder over the ramifications of your offenses." 

Joan stared at him, mouth slightly gaped over his lecture. She watched as he stood up and place one hand on the stack of folders. "For the next four days, you are to help me reorganize my paperwork. Starting with this pile," He gave it a firm tap, "Right here." 

She got up from her seat, eyeing the folders with a weary glare. With an inward groan, "Yes, sir." 

He tossed her a Cheshire cat smile, "Good. Now, I have to talk to Mr. Owens in the teacher's lounge, so I'll be back in a few minutes." His voice stern as he instructed, "You are not to answer my phone and if anyone comes in and asks for me, tell them that I'm in a conference. Are we clear?" 

"Crystal..." Joan sighed and fought back the urge to rub her temples in front of him. 

Price eyed her for a while, as if contemplating his next words. He turned, headed towards the door, but spun around to face her again. "And Joan?" 

She looked up at him, expectedly and with somewhat dread, "Yes?" 

To her surprise, his gaze matched the tone of his voice, which were soft and compassionate. He left her alone in his office to digest his parting words, "The easiest thing to do is just run out and away from our problems... unfortunately, it's the most painful because they never really leave you. Think about that while your alphabetizing those forms."   


Letting out a very relieved sigh, Joan pushed open the front doors of the school and started down the steps. A small smile spread across her lips when she seen 'Sam' waiting at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the railing. He looked up at her, squinting slightly due to the sun high in the sky and smiled at her. 

"You waited for me?" She asked, mildly surprised to see him there. 

"I'm a patient person Joan. I've waited for longer periods of time before." He said, pushing himself off the railing and starting off in the direction of her house. 

"I bet." She said with a small smirk as she walked up next to him. "I'm having my friends over for a study group tonight. Do you .. want to join us?" 

She looked over at him when he didn't answer right away. A small part of her hoped he'd say no, but she actually did want him there. She felt guilty at the thought of only wanting him there because Iris would be there with Adam. Yes, she felt mighty guilty over that thought. But then again, he was her friend. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, thanking .. well .. him, that he couldn't read them. 

She watched him while she walked, hoping for an answer before they got home. She could tell he was contemplating. She wondered what he had to contemplate, it wasn't that hard of a question really. What he was thinking about, un-beknown to her, was whether or not he should accept. He knew what would happen there. He'd seen it. The only thing he didn't see was anything and everything that had to do with Joan. He knew Adam, Iris and Grace would be there, talking to each other and waiting for her to come home. He knew Adam would try to push away everything he felt for her when she did return and he knew Iris would try to ignore there was ever a "them" to begin with. He knew Grace would make some remark to Iris about Joan and Adam, he knew Iris would retort and he knew Adam would tell them to stop. But some of this might not come to pass if he said yes to her. 

Everything was a choice. And with choices would come consequences. He knew this, but he accepted her offer anyways. She smiled at him and said thanks. He just smiled back and the rest of the walk was held in silence. As they came upon her house she was relieved to see that neither her parents or Kevin weren't home yet. She jogged up the small steps to her porch and stopped at the door. She turned to him and smiled nervously. 

"They uh ... don't know you're coming yet. So just let me tell them." Then she opened the door and walked inside. 

All three of the visitors looked over as the door opened and Joan walked inside. Grace gave Joan a small nod of acknowledgment before going to back to her homework. Adam and Iris both said hello, though it sounded forced coming from Iris. She tried to glare at the squeaky girl. 

"Hey guys. I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend of mine with. We met up on the way home. Okay?" Joan asked, her back against the door and her hand still on the doorknob. 

Grace looked up, "What is this the dating game?" She said with a slight sneer. 

"Sure Joan, es su casa and all." Iris said with an indifferent shrug. 

"English is _not_ your forte is it?" Grace said without looking up from her book, "Why am I even surprised" 

Adam just nodded, though the curiosity on his face was quite apparent. He wondered who her friend was and if they've been friends for awhile, a new acquaintance or if they knew the person at all. 

"Great!" Joan said, glad they had agreed. "Be _right_ back." She said, then opening the door and stepping out onto the porch. 

"Oh good, you're still here." She said, upon seeing him leaning against the stone pillar just outside her door. 

He just raised his brow and smiled, amused, as Joan started to '_lay it down_' on what she was going to tell her friends. 

"Okay, I'm going to introduce you to my friends and Iris, of course I know you know them all, but they don't know that. So just ... play along. I mean .. don't lie or anything .. because I know your against that and stuff. Okay?" She asked, hoping he would agree. 

He just nodded. "Good!" She exclaimed, then turned and opened the door. Unconsciously she grabbed him by the hand and led him inside her house to meet her friends. This was something she's wanted to do since he started appearing to her. But until now she couldn't. She, of course, wouldn't tell them that this is the guy that tells her to do all the weird and crazy things she does. But at least she could '_share_' a little bit of him with two of the most important people in her life. 

As the door opened, everyone looked over at the same time. Joan and 'Sam' walked inside, closing the door behind them. Joan led him, still holding his hand, into the center of the room to introduce him to her friends. Adam looked over at them and noticed their hands, entwined between them, then looked up to meet Joan's 'friend' and found himself in a state of quiet shock. 

"Guys, this is my good friend Sam." She said, then looking over to him, "Sam, this is Grace, Adam and Iris." He gave them a small wave of acknowledgment. 

Adam stared at Sam. He couldn't believe it. Joan's friend was the same young man she had danced with at the party. The same one that Joan had claimed was "different" from him and yet here she is holding his hand. Though, he didn't have the right to be angry or jealous, as he was with Iris now. But he couldn't help but feeling a little bit of envy. 

Joan led 'Sam' to the couch where they both sat down. Adam watched them as they sat and noticed a good distance between them and that they weren't holding hands anymore. He glanced at Joan before going back to his chemistry paper. 

Grace looked up and nodded at 'Sam', then pointed the end of her pencil at him and looked over at Joan. "Does it talk?" 

"Yes **he** talks Grace." She said in mild annoyance at her friends question. 

Grace rolled her eyes and went back to her paper. Iris smiled at both 'Sam' and Joan. "So where'd you two meet?" She asked curiously. 

"The party." mumbled Adam, not really as much attention to his paper as he was supposed to. 

"What?" Iris asked as she looked over at Adam. He looked up from his paper and looked over at Iris as if she tried to get his attention. 

"What?" 

"What party A?" 

Adam glanced over at Joan and Sam, she looked at him with a similar questioning gaze, but he shook his head and looked back at his paper. "It's nothing. Nevermind." 

Joan frowned, knowing what he was refering to. She looked back at Iris and decided to answer, not really wanting to dwell on that particular moment. 

"Uhm, I guess we met a few days before I joined AP Chem." She said with a shrug, "Though it seems like _forever_ at times." She smiled, hoping that would cure everyone's curiosity for the time being. 

"Cool." replied Iris, "So how long have you two been going out?" 

"G.. going out?" Joan faultered, "Oh, we're not going out." She said with a small somewhat nervous laugh. 

'Sam' looked over at Joan, an expression of mock hurt on his face, "We're not? Joan, I really wished you would have said something. All this time ..." He trailed off. 

Joan looked at him with a horrified expression. She was at a complete loss for words, and apparently so was everyone else. She blinked a few times and then leaned in. 

"What are you _doing_!" She hissed. 

'Sam' let out a small laugh, "Relax Joan, I was just teasing" he said aloud, for everyone else to hear. Then he looked at her friends "It's okay, we're not together." 

Adam didn't know who looked more relieved to hear that, him or Joan. Even though they were just friends and nothing more, Adam still didn't care much for this Sam person. 

Joan playfully smacked 'Sam' on the arm. "That was _so_ not funny." 

"Yes it was." He said with a somewhat highly amused smile. Joan just shook her head. "Okay, enough messing around. We have a Chem test to study for." 

----------------   
The end! Well, not really. Hehe. See, God does have a sense of humor. Wow, getting two chapters out in a week. That's like ... a record for me. Anyways, I hope it was enjoyable. 


End file.
